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• New Jaguar XF spotted? 30 Apr 2007 (Forum)
  As it passed I noticed that the A pillar plus roof gutter and side window sills as far back as the B pillar (further back was hidden under fabric) were encased in wide chrome strip that for some reason the proportions of which reminded me of Rover 600! Roof profile, wheelbase, and overall stance of the car however was 5 Series BMW, though the rear was disrupted with a huge "box" plonked under the fabric. Wheels were painted black and I got no hint of detail beyond that they looked like being at least 18 or 19 inchers. The car gave the appearance of surfing along on effortless torque, lazily auto-slurring in to second gear as it passed me, and once again very rorty in the exhaust department.
• Cape Town driving- The Sun newspaper 3 Mar 2004 (Forum)
  quote: ----------- But I do love the sheer b***** mindedness of UK drivers. Only a Brit would hog the fast lane of the motorway in their 1.2-litre rust bucket with an irate BMW M5 driver on their tail and still not move over. ------------------------ She'd be surprised mefinks... we don't have 1.2-engined rustbuckets, we have diesel-engined double cabs. quote: -------------- And only Brits make those charming gestures when you cut them up. ----------- It just seems so lovey dovey on SA roads for this wanchette, because she doesn't know what "jou ma se blik poes" means.
• Used cars of the year 13 Oct 2019 (Forum)
  Juddering clutched and the occasional blocked DPF on low use cars aside they’re pretty robust if a bit dull to drive. A far far better bet than a used BMW X3/X5 or similar at this money. Sub £4,000 Honda CRV 2.0 VTEC. As above but at this money the petrol is far safer is much slower and greedier. Best Convertible £8,000 Mazda MX5 Mk III A hoot to drive and painless to own, the only worry is rust which even the Mk III suffers from.
• Auction visit 3 Apr 2024 (Forum)
  Someone is in for a nasty surprise when they pick this one up. It’s a £1,200 car in my opinion. 2018 BMW X3 2.0 diesel with loads of kit, 24,000 miles, full history and needing no paint. Just needed a good valet inside made £22,000 plus £1,600 fees - if a private buyer. Too much money. 2015 Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSi SE 5dr - 54,000 miles.
• Petrol, diesel, hybrid? (No EVs please) - Advice on car for retirement 2 Aug 2022 (Forum)
  Not a great fan of the Germans having seen mates go through all sorts of nightmares with VWs and Mercs, while I'm not and never have been a BMW type (qv all those Citroens and Saabs over the years). Bit suspicious of Volvo since the Chinese takeover but I'm probably looking anyway at something that predates that. Open to Japanese or Korean though.
• New car - making a shortlist 28 Feb 2016 (Forum)
    In alphabetical order: Audi Q3     Nice and high off the ground, but two friends in the village have them and both say there's no fun in driving them.  One calls it a 'lump'.  The automatic, called 'S-tronic- is basically a DSG. BMW 2-series Active Tourer     Silly name, but a good car that could be a front-runner.  220i petrol probably - I had five diesel cars in a row before this and the last Octavia and I'm not sure I want another.
• Hyundai i30 Tourer - Driving in Sardinia 31 May 2015 (Forum)
  Police are hot on bad driving and speeding and we saw plenty of patrols, driving everything from the usual Fiats and Lancias to BMWs and even a couple of Subaru Foresters. Speaking to the hire company rep when I took the car back he said in August traffic police from mainland Italy are sent to Sardinia to increase patrols dramatically and pull Italian holiday makers who have no regard for any aspect of road safety.
• Celebrating 40 years of the 18-22 series Wedge 27 Mar 2015 (Forum)
  The new 18-22 Series was launched on March 26, 1975, and earlier I attended a modest ceremony to mark the fact at the place of its birth, at what is now BMW’s Mini factory on the edge of Oxford. Strictly speaking, we were told - by a Mini factory guide who worked there at the time - that the 18-22 was manufactured on the other side of a bypass on land now occupied by a gym, an Audi dealer and a science park, but the 18-22’s body was made on the part of the site from where Minis emerge today.
• Any - Does Start/Stop Technology Really Save any Money? 23 Jun 2014 (Forum)
  I have been attempting to make my own comparative measurements on a Sept 2001 (61) registered 22,500 miles (and rising) 1.25 litre supermini over intervals in excess of 1200 miles and it is proving difficult to see any significant benefit or improvement in fuel economy by manually 'emulating' the behaviour of a well engineered s/s system such as might be found on cars with sophisticated alternator and battery management systems designed to optimise fuel economy and overall performance i.e. as per BMW 'efficient dynamics' specifications. P.S. I keep my car (AGM) car battery well 'charged up' at all times both summer and winter, by the use of an intelligent external charger purchased from a well known 'german owned' supermarket chain for just £14.
• Driving simulator experience 9 Sep 2009 (Forum)
  I can say there is no intention to trick you and every situation you come across is very realistic ? even the BMWs and 4x4s tailgate you and lorries pull out without indicating just as you approach! The first visit is more about you as a driver and how you are affected by the automated systems in the car. Activities are undertaken by the driver and road conditions are ?
• Insurance claim advice needed please!! 5 Jun 2008 (Forum)
  This car has been dealer serviced since new upto 75k miles and now its on 91k and its in great condition. To top it all off, the womans son comes down our street all the time in his fancy BMW that must have bought for him (he looks about 17). He flies down the street, picks up his girlfriend, then reverses out of the street as fast as he can on the wrong side of the road just like she did.
• Franchised dinosaurs to become extinct 18 Mar 2007 (Forum)
  I'm in the market for a new car. An existing Audi customer for fifteen years, I wanted to drive an Audi, Mercedes and BMW before deciding. I arranged through the Audi web site to drive one of their cars. They made the arrangements with me during a long and tedious telephone conversation in which I had the opportunity to affirm such pressing matters as my age, budget (yes, I know the price of the car, thank you) and present model.
• Transcontinental road trip 30 Nov 2003 (Forum)
  Our first stop was Bonn for a weekend with a friend, which included an afternoon spent thrashing round the Nürburgring race track in his brand new BMW 745i. The Nürburgring is the famous 13 mile track, called by Jackie Stewart, "the greatest and most challenging race circuit in the world", which, previously unbeknownst to me, is often open to the public to drive around at top speed.
• What used family car? Too much choice is a curse.. 29 Oct 2020 (Forum)
  ·         USED Audi A4 Avant TFSI 1.4 or 2.0 (S Line) o    Pro: refined, well built and good looking vehicles, budget friendly due to popularity o    Con; Boot space could be better – will this cope with demands of family-life ·         VW Passat Estate 1.5 TSI (SE Business or GT) o    Pro - Passenger and boot space generous o    Con – Questionable reliability ·         Mazda 6 Tourer o    Pro – Good looking, and decent passenger and boot space o    Con – Rare to find used ·         BMW 3 Series touring o    Pro – Ride quality and driving experience, and ticks the snob box o    Con – Lowest boot space so question practicality
• 2015 Peugeot 308 1.6 BlueHDI - Judder - Clutch and DMF replaced under warranty 24 May 2018 (Forum)
  They booked my car in very quickly(even with a courtesy car required), they have been professional and always kept me up to date. I have owned numerous cars in the past including Audi's, BMW's, Seat's and Ford's and I have never received particularly great service until I came to the so called "poor relation". Well done Peugeot. On a slight negative, the dealer where I bought the car from (not Robins and Day) cannot be complemented quite so much.
• Dealer not giving car back ! 21 May 2013 (Forum)
  Anyway come september, my insurance was running out and tax as well at the same time, and the old bmw broke down. I had the waterpump fixed a week before so knew it was something to do with that. I paid £80 already to have it replaced. I was fed up of fixing the waterpump system some way or other with it leaking etc, so I decided to sell it.
• Please help me choose a diesel estate car 25 Feb 2013 (Forum)
    I wouldn’t mind another Mondeo, but would like something different than what I already own.   I have looked at Skoda Octavia, Volvo, Peugeot, BMW, VW and after watching an old episode of the Top Gear’s race to Blackpool, a Jag X-type. I am seeking your advice.   What left-hand drive cars should I be pursing that will fit my needs?
• Credit Repair & Hire - Possible Disputes? 13 Sep 2011 (Forum)
  Due to the age of my car the category of hire car was downgraded (SP05?) for which I was ok with.I ended up getting a BMW 320d which was more than adequate. The hire car arrangements were made on the Tue 06/Sep and I got the car on the Thu 08/Sep. However, at the same time I received a letter from the third party insurer offering their services (including hire car for £139 daily).
• Talk me out of buying an X-Type... 21 Oct 2005 (Forum)
  Obviously before getting into this I have done some research and these are some of the other cars I've checked out and tried and very briefly what I thought: BMW 3 Series (various): Drives ok, is VERY barren inside and EVERYTHING is extra, doesn't feel like a luxury car at all, instead feels like a nicely crafted metal box that someone happens to have attached four wheels and an engine to in a rather clever way.
• The Far Side 16 Feb 2003 (Forum)
  I know you people got speed cameras and license points and speed humps and those motorways where you have some hotshot BMW looking up your tailpipe at high speed. You even have cops who drive badly I read. Well we have cops who don't even drive, they park in front of the 24 hour 7-11 Store all night smoking or sleeping, or sometimes they're in the Blue Parrot or somesuch videoke bar down the road, they say they're checking the girls' health cards, oh yeah they're checking all right but it isn't any health cards they're looking at.